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Reviews: Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 - RCO/Haitink

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Reviews: 5

Review by -orlando- August 8, 2005 (10 of 13 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
The acoustics of "Het Concertgebouw" are ideal for this work and Haitink is a great guide. He uses the Haas 1887/1890 Hybrid Version.

Substantially there seems not much changed in Haitink's ideas about this work throught the years. But he shows a profound insight, taking the tempi a bit slower, resulting in an very intensive playing orchestra. Again a great "RCO Live" recording!

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Review by thepilot April 6, 2006 (8 of 13 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
This is the Bruckner 8th I have been waiting for. This magnificent orchestra in the splendid concert hall play their hearts out for Haitink. The sound is wonderfully transparent, every orchestral strand registers and yet the strings are velvety and the brass take your breath away. The balance is perfectly judged and you will not realize this is live, no microphone spotlighting, no extraneous noises! As fas as the performance is concerned only Karajan's last VPO account is as good, as spiritual and as thought out as this stunning realization. Maximum rating!!!!!!

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Review by Domimag August 19, 2009 (2 of 17 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
Surely don't deserve technical notes above !
Compare to Mahler 5/Jansons/RCO to understand.

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Review by threerandot August 4, 2010 (5 of 11 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
This is simply a wonderful and moving performance of this symphony and Haitink can easily stand shoulder to shoulder with the greatest Bruckner conductors. The RCO play with great conviction and Haitink draws masterful intensity throughout this performance. The third movement is simply magical and marvellously played.

A glorious disc throughout and deserves all the praise that we can offer. I simply find myself playing this disc again and again. The dynamics in the recording are fantastic with great clarity, warmth and depth and I continue to marvel at the depth of the musicality in this disc.

If you are a Bruckner fan and don't have this one yet, I couldn't make a stronger recommendation for a Bruckner disc than I can with this one. Truly a winner all around. Ah, the closing moments of the Adagio are truly magical!!

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Review by Jonalogic October 22, 2010 (7 of 12 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
I find the decidedly mixed reviews of this most interesting. Moreover, I think I can see why they have come about.

This is a quite marvellous performance, very much in the Haitink style. His view of this piece has been eminently consistent over LP, CD and now SACD. Needless to say, he has an implicit grasp of Bruckner's long-term architecture, whilst the Concertgebouw playing - the brass in particular - is majestic in its impact.

However, one has to listen through the quite awful sound to get through to the music. The previous reviewer nails this completely when he refers to it as 'murky and congested'. Spot on!

What a pity. Haitink's performance and the Concertebouw's playing deserves better. MUCH better.

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